The entry list of the 24 hours of Le Mans is limited to 56 cars, spread across the 4 classes LMP1, LMP2, LMGTE Pro and LMGTE Am. This number is not random; it’s actually set by the number of pits available at the racetrack. Fortunately the pit lane had been extended in the last years: Until 2006 there were only 50 pits available, with the latest extension being build for the 2010 race the number of pits is now up to 56.

Until some years ago there was a pre-qualification weekend a couple of weeks prior to the race. All teams willing to participate had to show up at Le Mans, drive their qualification laps and with a few exceptions, e.g. the winner of the previous year, only the fastest cars were qualified for the race. This has been changed to a system of “pre-selected” and “A.C.O.-selected” entries and the pre-qualification weekend became a compulsory test weekend for all participants. Due to the world economic crisis the test weekends 2009 and 2010 were cancelled, but this year saw the return of the test day on Sunday, 24th April 2011. Unlike in previous years, when the test day was compulsory for all participants, this year only new teams/cars/drivers had to show up and pay a juicy participation fee of 8.000 Euros.

So, how does it work nowadays? Up to 33 out of the 56 entries are pre-selected: If these teams apply for an entry, they will be accepted. The list of the 33 pre-selected entries is compiled based on the results of the previous year:

Winner of the Michelin Green X Challenge, a trophy for the LMS team with the most efficient fuel consumption (1 car)

LMS, ALMS and Asian Le Mans Series winners have to run the full season to get a pre-selected entry. This only applies if the entry is to the same class as it was pre-selected for. The privilege belongs to the team and is not related to a chassis or engine make.

The remaining 23 slots – or more, if a pre-selected entry is not taken - are given away at the organizers discretion. The following is a quote from the A.C.O. regulations about their guidelines for the selection procedure of the remaining entries:

Teams that have competed in full in one or more of the Le Mans Series (ALMS, LMS, Asian Le Mans Series) will be given priority

Relationship with the A.C.O. and its environment regarding legal and financial issues

When applying for an entry, each team has to nominate at least 1 driver per car who cannot be replaced (except in cases of force majeure). If such a nomiated driver is withdrawn by the team, the withdrawal will lead to the driver being removed from the list of those who can be selected for the 2011 Le Mans 24 Hours - he/she cannot change to another team!
The entry fee for the 2011 edition of the 24h of Le Mans is a stunning 42.000 Euros.